Regression
by FrostedChanges
Summary: Regression wasn't uncommon among the sides of Thomas Sanders. But Virgil didn't regress... Or did he? Join the four sides as they learn new things about the Anxious trait. Rated T for self harm mentions


So I wanted to write a regression fic, as child Virgil is my favorite thing ever. So here is part one, that I took way too long to write cause my Roman checked out on me…

Warning- Mentions of self harm

*Line Break*

Regression wasn't uncommon amongst the different sides of Thomas Sander's personality. Roman, Patton, and Logan had all experienced it at one point or another with each other, each regressing into a child in different points of trauma for their host. Logan would find himself a child when Logic failed a situation, and when Thomas didn't need to remember what happened. Patton changed when Thomas's emotions begin to overwhelm him, his regression sending him to a point of core human emotions. Roman's was different; his regression had less to do with trauma, and more to do with his own power. He turned into a child when Thomas began to lose his bearing with reality. He regressed to give the others a chance to help their host focus. While Roman and Patton tended to regress more often, none of them stayed that way for long. But that was one thing the sides found interesting, while the three of them had times of regression Virgil didn't… Or did he?

 ***Line Break***

Patton padded his way into the kitchen one morning to make breakfast for the other sides as he usually did. As he walked in, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a black and purple hoodie and a head of purple hair sitting atop the fridge. He didn't give the figure so much as a second glance as he passed by, the moral side being more than accustomed to finding Virgil camping out on strange surfaces.

He started opening cabinets to get out the mix for pancakes, before grabbing a pan as well to start cooking. "Come on down Virgil." He said, sounding much too peppy for it to only be seven in the morning. "I could use some help with breakfast."

"No." A small voice whispered from the top of the fridge, it sounded so young that even Patton was surprised. Said side turned around and looked where he knew Virgil to be sitting, only to find his gaze locked with a frightened child. The young Virgil stared with wide eyes at the oldest side before he practically leaped from his hiding place. He hit the floor in arms first and sat there for a moment before letting out a loud scream.

 ***Line Break***

Logan woke with a start, he was bent over his desk papers scattered everywhere from the research he was doing the night before. He sat up slowly and looked around for a moment trying to figure out what had woken him so abruptly; then he heard the scream echoing through the house once more. He jolted to his feet and looked toward the door trying to figure out why in the world he could hear a child screaming in the mind palace. But slowly his face twisted from confusion to horror, the only time he heard a scream like that was… Patton.

He ran for his door and threw it open, his suspicions only being confirmed more when he saw Roman sprinting into the hallway as well. He stopped for a second to listen before hearing the screams were coming from the kitchen, so he turned to run that way. He rounded the bottom of the stairs and sprinted the last few feet before just freezing at the sight in front of him. He let out a grunt when Roman slammed into his pack sending them both sprawling to the floor in front of the other two sides.

Patton was cradling a screaming Virgil in his arms when his two friends landed in front of them. The small anxious side stopped screaming and turned to look at the sides who were staring at him with a mix of shock and confusion. He once again flung himself away from where he was sitting, finding himself hiding in a corner.

"Be good." He whispered pulling the hood from his much too large hoodie over his face. "Promise be good, no Deceit." He begged weakly, his voice cracking with unshed tears. The grown sides watched the young boy with a sad look, Patton of course seeming as though he wanted to burst into tears. Logan took a moment to collect himself, shifting so he was sitting on his knees. He looked the child Virgil over carefully as he began to draw some conclusions.

Similar to the way they all regressed for different reasons; their regressions also affected them differently. When Logan regressed, he could remember his adult self and had some semblance of control, though when he changed back his time as a child was fuzzy. Patton couldn't remember being an adult, though when he grew he could remember his child state until the next regression. Roman on the other hand could never remember either change. He always started as a blank slate as a child, and would have no memories of his regression when he changed back. Virgil, it appeared, couldn't remember being an adult, but by his actions Logan concluded he retained memories from each of his regressions.

The logical side cleared his throat slightly, holding his hands in front of him in a non threatening way. "No one is going to get Deceit, Virgil, you're safe here." He said softly, while he wasn't good at emotions, he was always good at calming Virgil down when he was overly anxious.

Virgil chewed his lip slightly and edged forward. "No brothers?" He asked weakly, his head tilting slightly as he glanced nervously around the room.

"No, it's just us. I'm Logan, that's Patton, and behind me is Roman." Logan whispered making sure to keep his voice calm and steady. "Do you know who we are?" He inquired.

"Brothers say bad... But you help Thomas… You nice." Virgil whispered, his gaze dropping down to his sweater paws continued the slow shift closer to the man.

Logan actually felt his heart constrict at the words. "You help Thomas too Virgil." He let the anxious boy know. "How about we go get you in something a little more your size?" He whispered holding out a hand for the small anxious boy to take. Virgil looked at him and stared for a moment before practically charging into the side's arms.

"Otay Lo-Lo." He murmured, his face instantly nuzzling against the logical male's neck. Patton's hand slapped against his mouth as he tried to avoid crying out about how cute Virgil was being. Even he understood they had matters much more important to attend to at that point.

The moral side turned to look at Roman. "Do you think you can make something Virgil size that he will actually wear?" He asked kindly, knowing good and well that Roman could be a little eccentric if not reigned in.

Roman made, what Virgil had dubbed, an 'offended princey noise' before pursing his lips in thought. He looked up as Logan stood with the young boy and carried him out to the living room before summoning a pair of pajamas to his hands. It was a black and purple patched set of footie pajamas, similar to the anxious side's normal jacket. He held it out to Patton with a smirk, "I'm sure this will be more than fitting." He said before standing and helping the dad side to his feet.

Patton and Roman made their way to the living room to join the other two sides, Logan was trying to get Virgil out of his oversized jacket while the young boy looked wearily around the room. Finally his eyes landed on a pile of Disney movies, he let out a small squeal before beginning to wiggle in Logan's arms to get free. The elder side kept a firm hold on the child, "Come on Virgil, let's get dressed first okay?" He whispered. Logan took a moment to think to himself before using his powers to change Virgil without having to see the young side in a way that would later make the male uncomfortable.

Once free Virgil instantly toddled over to the selection of movies and plopped down, his thumb went into his mouth and he picked the movies up one at a time to look at the pictures on the cover. Logan looked at the other sides knowing Disney was out of his line of expertise. Roman chuckled and walked over, squatting down next to Virgil, "Would you like to watch one little one?" He asked, reaching out and ruffling the anxious side's hair before he could think.

Virgil looked up at him in shock for a moment before grinning widely from behind his thumb. "Tis one?" He asked, holding _Lilo and Stitch_ up for the creative side to see.

"Ah perfect." Roman said, taking the movie and scooping Virgil up in the same motion, "This just happens to be one of my favorites." He said with an over dramatic wink that caused the child to giggle. "How about we ask Papa Patton to get some pillows and blankets and we make a fort?" He asked his eyes gleaming cheerfully.

Virgil clapped his hands and laughed. "Fort Papa!" He cried looking up at Patton with large violet eyes. It was in that very moment that each side realized, they would do whatever it took to protect their youngest when he was like this. Patton took a moment to watch the little boy before turning and going to get the objects needed for them to build a fort.

It didn't take long for the grown sides to get a small fort put together in the living room for them to watch movies in. Patton settled in first, taking Virgil into his lap and holding onto him. The small side clung to the moral trait with a ferocity that Patton wasn't sure how to handle. Logan joined them next settling on Patton's left with a book in his hands. He offered a small surprised noise when a small hand grabbed his arm and tugged him closer until the hand wrapped around the end of his tie.

He looked down at Virgil in confusion, the young side was never one to cuddle when he was grown, so the fact that he was so touchy feely when he was small was quite surprising. Roman joined them next, offering a surprised look at the position his friends were in. He sat to Patton's right, not even settling in when a small hand grabbed his sash and pulled him into the pile.

Once Roman was close enough for him, Virgil hooked his arm through the sash and stuck his thumb back into his mouth as his gaze focused on the movie. The three sides looked at him in shock, barely paying attention to the movie in front of them as they gazed down at the young male. None of them were used to seeing Virgil so touchy feely. In a way they couldn't help but wonder if their treatment of the side helped shape the anxious trait they knew today.

But their cuddle session just couldn't last. It wasn't long into their second movie, _Mulan_ , that the young side grew bored. He wiggled his way out of the mess of limbs he created and instantly set off to do something. The adult sides watched him toddle off for a moment before they all rushed up after him, not wanting to imagine the kind of chaos a young Virgil could cause.

Once they had all managed to untangle themselves from the fort that collapsed in their rush, the three sides moved toward the toddler who was heading toward the kitchen with determination. Patton gently caught Vigil in his arms and picked him up. "I don't think we should go to the kitchen kiddo. There are too many things that could hurt someone so small." He explained calmly with a small smile. "How about we do some crafts?" He asked softly.

Virgil looked up at him with wide happy eyes. "Inger paint?" He asked excitedly, almost bouncing in the moral sides arms at the idea.

Patton chuckled and nodded. "Sure kiddo, we can finger paint. Let's get it set up in the dining room." He said, walking toward the dining room with the young child, the other sides following close behind them. Patton gently set Virgil in a chair before pushing it closer to the table. "Roman, will you set us up?" He asked.

"Most certainly Padre." Roman said with a dramatic flourish of his arms. The creative trait conjured news paper to cover the table, before having paints and canvases appear in front of each chair. He and Patton quickly took their seats, both eager to do something so playful. Logan on the other hand moved toward Virgil mumbling under his breath in exasperation.

He gently took the young sides arms and began rolling up his sleeves. After he had one up the logical side froze, a small gasp leaving his mouth as he stared down at the limb in his hands. Virgil's arm was covered in scars, some thin parallel lines, some were obvious burn marks. He took the child's other arm and pulled that sleeve up as well. He was hoping to see something different, but this one almost looked worse.

Patton and Roman were looking over at Virgil's arms in a mix of horror and confusion. "Virgil… What happened to your arms?" Roman asked softly, his voice almost breaking as he spoke.

Virgil glanced down before looking back up with a small shrug. "Brothers say I did it. I don't member though." He leaned forward and grabbed the purple jaw of paint, leaving the other sides in a state of panicked shock as they tried to come to terms with what they just heard.

Logan himself was speechless, something that Roman normally would have teased him for, but no one could think of something to say to this. Logan sputtered over a few different phrases trying to think of the right thing to say. That was until he felt a familiar tugging sensation. The three adult sides looked at one another with worry. "Oh no…" Logan whispered before they all faded out into the real world.

They all popped up in their spots, instantly turning to the stairs, where a young Virgil sat looking around in confusion.

Thomas cleared his throat slightly. "Uh guys… Why is Virgil a child?"


End file.
